A petition requesting bail in the third case was also filed today in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Feb 16, 2021

Nodeep Kaur was arrested on January 12 (File)1Chandigarh: 

Nodeep Kaur, a 23-year-old Dalit labourer and trade union activist from Punjab who has been behind bars in Haryana since last month, got bail today in one of the cases filed against her. The activist had got bail in another case last week. A petition requesting bail in the third case was also filed today in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. She will remain in jail until she gets bail in the third case as well.

Ms Kaur has been granted bails in FIR number 26 and 649. The petition for bail in FIR number 25 – in which she is charged with attempt to murder – was filed today in Punjab and Haryana High Court. The hearing is expected after a week, sources said.

The activist was arrested on January 12 when she had joined a protest by labourers at Haryana’s Kundli. She has been charged under sections that deal with attempt to murder, extortion, theft, rioting, unlawful assembly, extortion and criminal intimidation.

“Bail bonds have not been furnished yet as there is still one FIR whose bail application is pending before the High Court, so even if we furnish the bail bond in this, she cannot be released until bail is granted in the remaining case as well. That is why we have kept the bail pending and as soon as we get orders from the High Court in that case, we will furnish the bail bonds together,” said Kumar.

The arrest of Ms Kaur – who comes from a family linked with activism – has drawn international criticism. Several public figures, including US Vice-President Kamala Harris’s niece Meena Harris, have spoken in her support.

“Weird to see a photo of yourself burned by an extremist mob but imagine what they would do if we lived in India. I’ll tell you – 23 yo labor rights activist Nodeep Kaur was arrested, tortured & sexually assaulted in police custody. She’s been detained without bail for over 20 days,” Meena Harris, a lawyer and author, had tweeted on February 6.

Earlier this week, Nodeep Kaur’s sister Rajveer Kaur had refuted the charges levelled against the activist.

“The government is afraid of the unity of workers of farmers and that is why my sister is being targeted,” Rajveer Kaur had told reporters. “She has been beaten up in the police station by male staff and has even been sexually assaulted. There are injuries in her private parts. There should be strict action,” she added.

The police have denied the charges.

On Thursday, Punjab minister Aruna Chaudhary had urged the National Commission for Women to intervene and ensure the release of Nodeep Kaur.

The Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes had on 8 February asked an additional chief secretary in the state to intervene in the matter and ensure relief to her at the earlies